Chance for artists to shine at dazzling arts spectacular

Artists are being given a chance to create an unforgettable light and sound spectacular and transform Leeds Civic Hall for this year’s Light Night Leeds.

Organisers of the free annual city centre arts extravaganza are calling on creative organisations and individuals to come forward with their ideas for a unique centrepiece for this October’s event.

Using the historic building on Millennium Square as their canvas, applicants will be asked to employ the latest video mapping and sound technology in an ambitious piece that fits this year’s Light Night theme of “Progress and Innovation.”

The successful artists will be following in the footsteps of last year’s incredible Out of the Aire by Ross Ashton and Karen Monid, which celebrated the story of Leeds using colourful images of the city’s past and present including Leeds West Indian Carnival, the Leeds Rhinos and Pablo Fanque, Britain’s first black circus owner.

More than 80,000 people flocked to the city centre for last year’s event, which also saw other landmark buildings become the backdrop for a series of breath-taking projections and installations.

Now in its 14^th year and taking place over two night on October 4 and 5, this year’s event is expected to be bigger and better than ever, with an eclectic programme of more than 50 artworks and performances presented across 10 zones around the city centre.

Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “Light Night is always one of the most anticipated dates in our city’s cultural calendar and a beacon of artistic excellence, diversity and inclusion which Leeds is quite rightly immensely proud of.

“Year after year, the Leeds Civic Hall projection has proven to be an extraordinary spectacle which has captivated tens of thousands of people and families and given them an unforgettable experience.

“The exceptional quality of the installations we have seen in previous years is a credit to the remarkable talent of the artists we have worked with and I look forward to seeing this year’s projection continuing that tradition of stunning ingenuity and creativity.”

The new Leeds Civic Hall piece could include themes of invention or engineering, reflect or utilise new technology, or examine areas of social change. The work could relate directly to the city of Leeds, be narrative led or more abstract in style.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, June 15 with interviews scheduled for later that month.

Applications will be assessed by the Light Night Leeds team and a panel of judges.

For full details on how to apply, please visit: https://www.curatorspace.com/opportunities/detail/light-night-leeds---centrepiece-projection-commission/2323

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:

Stuart Robinson

Communications Officer

Leeds City Council

Tel: 0113 378 9182 (please note my new number)

Email: stuart.robinson@leeds.gov.uk

www.leeds.gov.uk